Archive for ‘Interview’

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January 24, 2012

Re-Purpose Your Furniture with Rethunk Junk

What do you typically do with your old worn out furniture? Haul it to the local dump? Throw it in your garage? Sell it? Well, how about re-purposing that old piece of furniture. Take it from drab to fab with the help of a company called, Rethunk Junk. Rethunk Junk takes pieces of furniture from ordinary to extraordinary. An employee of Plaid, Leanne Melton, lead us to Laura and her company, Rethunk Junk. We absolutely love her work, and wanted to learn more about her. Get ready to be amazed by what she can do with old furniture.

1. How did you come up with the concept of Rethunk Junk?

I love painting furniture. I always have. I have decorated that way so that I don’t have to yell at my five kids, “get off that! Don’t touch that! Do you know how much I paid for that???” My husband prefers what we call “hotel décor”…just a bed, a nightstand, and maybe a piece of art over the bed – very minimalist. So we reached a point several years ago where he kindly requested that, I quit bringing anymore dag gum furniture into the house :) . So I decided to post a piece for sale, and was shocked when someone actually purchased it. Thinking it was a fluke I posted another, and slowly decided this could work!

2. What made you begin to re-purpose furniture?

I had a need/desire to have a home I enjoyed, without spending a ton of money.  We had a wee budget, but wanted things to look inviting and comfortable.

3. What was one of your most difficult projects to re-purpose?

A set of matching dressers that after I gave a bid, I discovered were 100% laminate. They were for a family having twins and they wanted them painted (YIKES), and I had to find a way to make the paint stick. They also wanted them “decorated” in a classy way that would make them personal to each little baby (one girl & one boy). That was a challenge…to do something without going with the usual pink and blue. That tied with the piece someone brought me, that had to be sanded for about 1,500 hours due to veneer issues. Then on top of that I had to make some custom trim for the back that was missing. However in the end, I loved the finished product.

4. What is your favorite type of furniture piece to redo?

UGLY FURNITURE!  Ugly enough that it surprises me, when it turns out so charming and normal :) !

5. You recently were asked to make some pieces, which will be on display in Plaid’s booth at CHA Winter. How did you get connected with Plaid?

Leanne Melton, Director of Product Development, Plaid Far East, recommended me. She is a wonderful customer, amazing person, and she threw my name around till someone listened!  Ha-ha :) . I am truly grateful!!!

6. Can you please describe your craft/work place?

We just recently moved to Woodstock. We were previously in a neighborhood where the homeowners association was “less than thrilled” when there was a dresser in the driveway overnight. Ha-ha! We purchased a home, and my husband built a 1,200 square foot shed behind our home. I use the front half to display and sell the finished pieces, and the back half to work on pieces. It’s a wonderful, chaotic, happy, messy, creative, and disorganized fun place!

7. Do you have any goals for Rethunk Junk in 2012?

I would love to figure out a way to grow things a bit. I would love to have some pieces on consignment in retail stores. Right now I post pieces for sale on my website, but I think it can be a bit of a hassle to have to contact me, and find our shop. Going to an official “store” would be easier for some people. So, that’s the direction I would like to add to the plan.

8. What trends do you see occurring within the re-purposing industry?

I have no clue! Ha-ha. I do what I like, and I listen to customers. I do a lot of custom work and that seems to be huge. The ability to go somewhere and say to someone, “I am looking for a robin’s egg blue dresser no more than 60 inches long, for my nursery and I’d like silver hardware.” This is not something very many places offer. I feel happy that I can work with people to make their visions a reality.

9. What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love to spend time with my family (five kids ages 17 to 6, and my husband). We’ve been married for 24 years (and yes – if you’re wondering I got married when I was 7) Ha-ha! I also enjoy playing the piano, and I like listening to music. I never watch TV, and I love to rearrange my furniture  :) .

10. What advice can you give to people who are new to furniture re-purposing?

Find a fabulous primer!!!!  Remember that it’s only paint; you can redo it if you don’t like it.  Don’t use oil based paints or polyurethane. The hardware is the “accessorizing” part and can make all the difference in the finished look. Oh and of course have fun!!!!

To get in touch with Laura and Rethunk Junk visit, http://www.rethunk-junk.com/. Or call, 770-366-1852

Here are some more projects Laura has created:

Posted in DIY, Home Decor, Interview | 3 Comments »

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October 4, 2011

Save The Tatas: Plaid Supports Breast Cancer Awareness – Libby’s Story

Last week we here at Plaid kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month a little early. There was a celebration for one of our Plaid family members, Libby Kelley, a breast cancer survivor. Read more about Libby, and her story below.


You may wonder why would a breast cancer survivor throw a celebration party?! Well, if it wasn’t for my Plaid family and friends, I would never had made it through my surgery and cancer treatments. I wanted to bring everyone together, and thank them for all their support. During the party I had two cakes this time, and one was in the shape of a ladies breast. Thanks to another Plaid employee, Laura Brunson, for sharing her cake decorating talents. I have been breast cancer free for 5 years! 5 years is a mile stone and I am looking forward to the next 5 years, along with  another celebration. They say after 10 years you are cancer free, well I’m half way there.


On September 27th 2006, I received a call here at Plaid from my doctor telling me I had breast cancer.  I took the news like most women I know. I became a raging lunatic with a my truck drivers/sailors mouth. Within minutes I was surrounded by my Plaid family offering to help. That’s where my journey began. From that day forward I was blessed with a great support system. I received calls from everyone including, our CEO/ President Mike McCooey, and his wonderful Wife Sandra. They were always offering to help and checked up on me. One thing about our Plaid family, you will never go hungry or be alone.

I made the decision to work while going through chemo and radiation (It was my personal decision). To tell you the truth I didn’t want to be miserable alone.  Everyone was very supportive and understanding during that difficult time in my life.  My friends and co-workers even made sure my wigs were on straight, and my false eyelashes were never askew.  I would change wigs and confuse everyone. They never knew what I was going to look like :)   I just made the best of a bad situation.

Here’s a little advise, don’t just trust your yearly exam, and check your breast often. Cancer isn’t always a lump, it can be a red mark, it can be drainage, it can be the feel of calcification under the skin.  Just don’t assume, and always get it checked out.  I waited until I was due for my next mammogram.  Not a good move! My cancer was very aggressive, a little like me.

Don’t give up. Laugh, and turn it over to God. Let him handle the stress. I did and it worked for me. Can you guess what I did in my spare time while recuperating? I crafted of course! Painting is one of my favorite hobbies. I became very creative with FolkArt paints.

Love my job, and Plaid!

Libby

Posted in Announcements, FolkArt Acrylic, Interview | 4 Comments »

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May 4, 2011

Get to Know Chris Williams

Meet Plaid's very own Chris Williams.

I’m sure by now you’ve become familiar with the regular contributors to Paint Me Plaid. Today, we’d like to get to know Chris Williams a little bit better. Chris is the Education Director here at Plaid and true to her role she is working on a series just for Paint Me Plaid to help us all learn about the different surfaces you can paint on and how to get the best results. Her first installment will appear tomorrow, so stay tuned! In the mean time, here is a quick Q&A with Chris.

read more »

Posted in Interview | 4 Comments »

October 22, 2010

Interview with Pinky from Much Ado About Nothing

I had the pleasure of “meeting” Pinky from Much Ado About Nothing online a few months ago.  She began sharing projects with me that use Plaid product via e-mail.  She’s known as “Pinky” for obvious reasons, and her hair is so fabulous that I remember seeing her at Summer CHA in Chicago.  I wish I would have walked up to her and introduced myself!  I was drawn to her funky style and use of glitter immediately – then I realized she’s particularly talented at incorporating paint into paper crafts.  I’m always looking forward to what Pinky comes up with next, and I think you’ll be intrigued as well.  I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with Pinky, and, like her projects, she didn’t disappoint.

What made you want to be a crafter and designer?  I have been told I was always “crafty” but I wanted to become a designer because crafting speaks to me. I wanted to show people that ANYONE can create, and EVERY project is beautiful because it is made from the heart.   What is more beautiful than someone who cares enough to hand make a project?  I wanted people who don’t craft (or even the ones who do) to see that crafting is more than just paper and glue, it is a personal expression, an art, and art is amazing.

What inspires you – how do you decide what to make?  Generally speaking, my emotions inspire me; I create the most when I am full of emotion whether it be happiness, sadness or anger.  The more emotion I feel the more creative I am.

What is your studio or workspace like, and how do you work in your studio?  I am so blessed to have a wonderful room with bay windows, lots of light and two ceiling fans; it is one reason we bought this house. The room itself is a converted garage, but all the work was done in a light, airy southern style.  It’s my own private heaven.

How would you describe and think of your style, what kind of crafts do you make and what type of materials do you prefer?  My style is all over the place, from vintage shabby chic to trendy and bold.  The comment I hear the most is BOLD with naturally conveyed emotion. I love, LOVE using fabric in any and all projects; if I can add a scrap of fabric, I will.  Believe or not, my other favorite material is cardboard.  There is something so naturally beautiful and textured in cardboard. I love peeling it, painting it, distressing it. It is the base for many of my projects.

My favorite crafting website is (and why): Would it sound narcissistic to say my blog?  Because I work so hard on it?  Ok, ok…probably not the best choice, let me see. . . . I don’t really surf one specific craft site, but I do like Martha Stewart and Country Living.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your crafty career?  My most rewarding moments are when the average crafter e-mails or comes up to me and says “Your work spoke to me in so many ways, I completely feel what you are saying and my life has not been so easy either. . . thank you.”   I love it when someone shares their story with me and I can see I had an impact on their life, or when a non-crafter emails me and says “ I saw what you did and I decided to start crafting because your art touched me.”  Those are the most rewarding moments, the one-on-one connections when I know that speaking out and sharing my work is making a difference.

Looking back, knowing what you know now, is there anything that you would do differently (in your crafty career)?  A couple of things come to mind.  First of all, when I began crafting I would have ignored the people who repeatedly told me I had no talent and my work was awful.  I took it personally and I believed them. . . they were wrong.  Now I see that everything created has value, and I never let anyone under-value my time and work.  It did teach me to see the beauty in all art; it taught me to appreciate all levels of crafting, not just the professional pieces, but all pieces.  It taught me that my work stands by itself.  Anyone who tries to tell me otherwise is probably having some issues of their own and it is no reflection of my work.

Secondly, I would have been more confident in my own way of creating.  I create with such emotion, and when I began it really bothered some people.  I backed down many times, but what I found out was that my unique perspective on crafting is what makes me stand apart from the rest.  My unfaltering voice is what draws people to my crafting and makes it special.

What new directions do you hope to move in the future?  Do you have big plans, new ideas or designs you will be exploring soon?  I am hoping to move more towards the in-house designing and teaching side of crafting.  My plans are (or should I say dreams): to travel and be paid to teach and design, as well as get with a graphic designer and scrapbook company to create my own line of paper and embellishments.  I have so many ideas in this crazy head that are unique and I know the modern crafter looks for.  Maybe one day.  A girl can dream, right?  I would also love to teach children and adult survivors of trauma how to use crafting/scrapbooking to express their emotion.   This seems to come so naturally to me.  I would love to share it with others.

What is your biggest budget crafting tip?  Figure out what kind of crafting you are comfortable with.  If you are comfortable spending $50 on one project and really going all out, then save and do one at a time.  Have fun with it, accept it!  If you feel you need to save and make your crafts the most frugal way possible, then accept it and be frugal; work on using every last bit and scrap.  If you work within your comfort zone when crafting, then it won’t be stressful.  It will be fun!  It’s ok to spend $50 on one project if you can, and it’s ok to be frugal as well.  It’s all about YOU.

Thank you so much for the wonderful interview, Pinky.  Please visit Pinky at Much Ado About Nothing for some fun Halloween crafts and all-around great ideas.  It’s very true that her heart comes out in her crafting.  You can help but want to join in the fun!

Posted in Designers, Interview | 17 Comments »

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September 29, 2010

Nancy Standlee Talks Painting with Plaid

Nancy Standlee lylas painting

Arlington, Texas artist Nancy Standlee creates bright yet tranquil original paintings and mixed media pieces. Her involvement with the painting community of  Texas and beyond influences her style. She inspires other artists to paint daily, and shares some tips and insight in this conversation with Plaid.

You write about a painting being a journey. How do you know when you have arrived at the destination, or when a piece is finished?

This is a question many artists struggle and ask themselves. If you’re fortunate, you have a friend that calls out “Step away from the painting.” A simple answer I agree, but one that I use is “when it looks good”. I was in a collage workshop with Gerald Brommer when the question was posed to him. He said, “You can keep working on that collage until you can’t pick it up.”

Nancy Standlee Abstract Art

How do you approach composition for your small landscapes and other abstract works?

With the small abstract landscapes I start with a horizon line near the top or bottom of the support. I work intuitively with the abstract work and begin to cover the canvas with paint and see what develops.

As both a student and a teacher of art expression, what special advice would you give to budding painters?

Decide on what you really like and why you like it and find painters who work like that, study their work and if you can take workshops from them. If you can’t take a workshop, order a good art DVD and study it. Creative Catalyst has a great selection to study. Get good art books and do some of the exercises – don’t just look at the pictures. Paint as often as you can and get a good support group of friends so you can paint and share ideas.  I belong to a group of collaborative artists, Canvas by Canvas, and all of us have grown by our association. Keep a sketchbook journal of your journey and ideas. I have a notebook from each workshop and now I wish I’d used a sketchbook and added more images to these notes. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Live in the moment, not in the past and not thinking so much about plans for the next day. Give yourself some creative time each day. That’s why I encourage the students in my art journaling workshops to keep a journal and each day add an image or a notation and it helps keep them creative. I keep an art blog and contribute to several others and I’m on FaceBook and these are time consuming but they can also keep you art connected.

Nancy Standlee Robert Burridge Influence

Your work looks influenced by Robert Burridge, and there he is in your workshop roster. What was it like to study with him?

Yes, I can pick out other students work who have studied with him, also. I found Bob’s work by way of a Cheap Joe’s catalog that featured his coffee cup painting on the cover. I immediately fell in awe and then started my research. Who is this? Does he have a website? Does he teach workshops? How can I get to one? My first one was in 2006 at Dena’s Ranch near Marble Falls, TX. and now my 8th and 9th will be in 2011. My favorite Monday is still the first day of one of his workshops. He creates a safe and sharing environment in which to work, try new techniques and have fun. I like to be around his energy and the attitude he projects. He encourages you to paint the way you’ve always wanted to paint.  He is a generous instructor and shares all his secrets. He has some notes on his website about his Pep Talk to his Loosen Up class that your readers might enjoy reading

What subject material and painting techniques are you looking forward to mastering in the future?

In March I traveled to Colorado to take a 2 day Metals and Mixed Media workshop with Carol Nelson and I want to follow up with other work in this area. I haven’t taken the time to really put in use some of the techniques Carol shared. I’ve been experimenting with painted and stained paper collage and have recently finished several pieces. There are more ideas I want to pursue towards figurative collage. In December I’ve scheduled a 2 day Florida workshop with Derek Gores in figurative collage. Art is one activity where age doesn’t require retirement. You never get too old for art. You are never bored and will always have something else to learn.

- Interview by Jacki Schklar

Posted in Designers, Interview, Tips & Tricks | 6 Comments »

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September 8, 2010

Interview with the Craftaholic: Diana Gonzalez

Meet Diana Gonzalez, the strong creative force behind Confessions of a Craftaholic.  Why do we love Diana?  Well, she has a very cute kid, and that is definitely a plus.  We love Diana because she is a work-at-home mother, artist, writer  and a very interesting person.  Her art is influenced both by her spirituality and her Latina heritage, and she uses just about every medium and tool under the sky with beautiful results.  I recently asked Diana my favorite crafty questions, and here’s what she had to say.  Please don’t forget to visit her blog and new website.  I think you’ll be impressed with her talent, and you will DEFINITELY be inspired.

What made you want to be a crafter and designer?
I’ve always been creative, even as a child. What made me realize that I wanted to design things for a living was when my daughter was born. I realized I wanted to give her something to admire. Art is healing and creates evolution within you, and as I became more serious about my career, I began to realize this. And that is what gave me the desire to pursue my career as an artist even more.

What inspires you – how do you decide what to make?
Nesessity inspires me. Life inspires me. Nature inspires me. I love doing swaps a lot because they almost “force” me to create something. That gives me a deadline, and then I can find inspiration just by digging through my stash, re-organizing my art supplies (and then finding that one new stamp, that I’d been looking for, forever).
Art inspires me a lot also. I love Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Basquiat, and I love Dadaism. When I’m completely blocked on a swap project or just all out of ideas, I go to the Museum and that helps me.

What is your studio or workspace like, and how do you work in your studio?
My workspace is a small vintage sewing desk left behind by my neighbor when she moved. Above it, I have shelf with glitter, glue, paints, rubber stamps and buttons.
It’s usually messy, depending on how busy I am, and how much time I have to clean up after myself. I normally don’t bother. It’s cluttered, but at least I know where everything is. And I like my space. I think a workspace should inspire you. Set it up in a way that makes you want to work there. It should work for you. A messy workspace is the sign of a busy artist, I always say.

How would you describe and think of your style, what kind of crafts do you make and what type of materials do you prefer?
I typically call my style, “Vintage City Grunge”, because I use vintage elements and have a rough sort of style. I love the city, and a lot of stuff that add to my style is inspired by the majestic and expensive city that I live in.
I prefer to do paper art and jewelry and do mixed media shrine boxes, jewelry, book binding, and of course, cards and bookmarks.
I like rubber stamps a lot. I like to try to incorporate them in all the mediums I love. My mediums change as I change in life, and my preference in what to work with shifts around a lot.
I knit and crochet as well, and enjoy designing my own knitwear. I love recycled materials a lot. It’s so fun to just create things from used things.

My favorite crafting website is (and why):
I love craftster. I love it because I love swaps, and I love to browse at the amazing projects there. I get ideas for myself, for workshops, and i participate in a TON of swaps there, as well. I also love Swap-bot.com for craft swaps.
I also love flickr for inspiration.

What has been the most rewarding moment in your crafty career?
My rewarding moments are each time I teach workshops. I love to teach people to create beautiful things, and encourage people to just be creative with what they already have at home. Being creative shouldn’t be about buying a ton of things, although it is fun sometimes, to buy some new supplies sometimes.
What new directions do you hope to move in the future? Do you have big plans, new ideas or designs you will be exploring soon?
My hope is to take my craft group and my workshops to a new level. I would love to reach more people around the United States and the world, and open them up to my brand of crafting, and teach them to use what they have, to create beautiful things.
I’d love to publish a book as well, and I’m working on some new online workshops that I’ll be offering in the near future.
Looking back, knowing what you know now, is there anything that you would do differently (in your crafty career)?
Nothing. I have no regrets. Everything in life happens for a reason.

What is your biggest budget crafting tip?
Use what you have. That’s the best advice my husband gave me! He’s a classically trained artist, and he’s always telling me: Diana, don’t buy stickers. Don’t buy silly things, just make your own embellishments, cut your own shapes, make everything yourself! That’s the best advice. Use what you have, and don’t buy too many embellishments. I find that buying less embellishments not only saves you money, but forces you to make your own. Stick to basic things: rubber stamps, paper, ink and scissors. When you limit yourself to basic things, you’ll be suprised at what you end up creating!

Thank you Diana – it was a pleasure!

Posted in Designers, Interview | 2 Comments »

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